TEAM NEWS: Electrifying Donington drive from Jewiss secures phenomenal first British F4 win

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TEAM NEWS: Electrifying Donington drive from Jewiss secures phenomenal first British F4 win

30 Apr 18

Supplied by team’s PR.

Remarkable first British F4 win for Kiern Jewiss at Donington.

Single-seater rookie stars with stunning drive from back-of-grid.

Maiden F4 rookie podium and first points for Sebastian Alvarez.

30 APRIL, 2018 – Kiern Jewiss was starred for Double R Racing with a truly outstanding maiden victory in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. The Briton charging through the field in round five from the last row on the grid at Donington Park.

Mexico’s Sebastian Alvarez scored his first outright points in rounds four and five with ninth place overall in each encounter, and he also secured his first Rookie class podium in race one on Saturday. Finland’s Paavo Tonteri, meanwhile, added more silverware to his season’s tally with third in class in rounds five and six and a best overall finish of seventh place.

“It was obviously a very big weekend for the team at Donington and Kiern was in a league of his own in race two. To come from the back of the grid to win, and in the manner he did too, was sensational. We knew from testing the pace was there, qualifying didn’t work out but in the races it was a different story. It’s also great to see Sebastian get his first Rookie podium too.”

During two separate test outings ahead of the British F4 event at Donington, 15-year-old Jewiss set his stall out emphatically with the second fastest time on day one and then the quickest time of all, inside the qualifying lap record, on day two. Team-mate Tonteri, meanwhile, was fastest on day one.

Unfortunately, wet weather qualifying on Saturday didn’t go to plan for the Double R drivers with Jewiss seventh, Tonteri ninth and Alvarez 13th on the grid for round four. More frustratingly, Tonteri’s race ended midway around the opening lap in the gravel at McLeans and Jewiss too was pitched into retirement on lap seven at the same corner while dicing with Ayrton Simmons.

Alvarez had a much better outcome to race one of the weekend. Running as high as sixth until a late Safety Car period, the Mexican was then bundled down to 11th but he went on to end the contest in ninth position which also secured his maiden Rookie class podium.

Jewiss, absolutely determined to hit back from his race one dramas, made a blistering start to round five on Sunday from the last row on the grid, gaining three positions straight away, and over the course of the first lap he stormed through the order, sensationally slicing into the top six.

Into fifth on lap two, he took fourth on lap six and then closed the gap to the cars ahead before grabbing third on lap 10 with a stunning move around the outside at Coppice. Reeling off a series of fastest laps, he took second on the outside at Redgate on lap 16 and this then became the lead – and ultimately the win – on corrected times when Dennis Hauger received a time penalty.

Alvarez began the contest from ninth on the grid and although edged back to 11th on the first lap, he battled back into the top 10 mid-race. Passed by team-mate Tonteri, who had risen from 14th on the grid, the Finn went on to finish seventh overall with Alvarez breaking into ninth before the finish.

In round six, Jewiss again produced a superb drive and from 10th on the grid he carved his way through to the podium once more with a fantastic top three finish. On lap one alone he sliced his way into the top five and the Double R racer was unfortunate not to take second place late on.

For Alvarez, the weekend ended disappointingly with a lap one retirement after a luckless tangle at McLeans. Tonteri, meanwhile, moved up from ninth to sixth before a lap two Safety Car period and despite being edged back to seventh he fought through into sixth until being shuffled back to ninth on the final lap. The position was still good enough to secure third in the Rookie class though.

Double R Racing will be back in action on 19/20 May at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire for the third race meeting of the British F4 season.